Fiji

The name Fiji comes from the Tongan name Viti from the name Viti Levu, Fiji’s largest island, also comes. It is an island group in Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean, consisting of 322 islands and 522 islets. Majority of the its population live in two major islands of Viti Levu and Vannua Levu which comprise 85% of the country’s total land area of 18, 274 sq. km. (7,056 sq. mi.). Lying 1,800 km. (1,100 mi.) north of New Zealand, it has for its neighbor countries Vannuatu to the west, France’s New Caledonia to the southwest, Tonga to the east, Samoas and France’s Wallis and Fortuna to the northeast, and Tuvalu to the north.

About 70% of Fiji’s population lives in Viti Levu, 20% in Vannua Levu but only 44% live in urban areas. Its terrain consists mostly of mountains of volcanic origin with Mt. Tomanivi in Viti Levu as its highest peak at 1,324 meters (4,341 ft.) and the Pacific Ocean as its lowest point. Its natural hazards cyclonic storms which likely take place between November and January.

Fiji is populated by 51% ethnic Fijians, a Melanesian and Polynesian mixture; 44% Indo-Fijians; and 5% European, other Pacific islanders and overseas Chinese, and 31.4% of those 0 and 14 years old, 64.5% of people between 15 and 64 years of age, and 4.1% of those in the age bracket of 65 years old and above.

The government of Fiji is parliamentary democracy but is currently under a military junta as a result of political instability brought about by long years of unrest and military coup d’etat.

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